Police search for man accused of assaulting a minor

SOUTH NEW CASTLE ó A 52-year-old man already facing trial for sex offense-related charges was accused Wednesday of assaulting a 15-year-old girl after using duct tape over her mouth and on her wrists.

Shenango Town-ship police obtained an arrest warrant Wednesday for Todd Alan Vocature, of 2214 South Jefferson St., New Castle. Police said Vocature is believed to have fled to Ohio to elude capture.

According to a criminal complaint filed with District Judge David Rishel, Vocature contacted the 15-year-old Aug. 31 and asked her to baby-sit his daughter.

The girl knew Vocature because he had previously dated her mother.

Vocature picked up the girl at her home between 6 and 7 that night and took her to his home in South New Castle borough, but the child wasnít there.

When the girl questioned him, he told her the child was on her way and suggested she watch some movies.

He then suggested the girl go into his bedroom while he prepared a present for her. As soon as she went into the room, according to the criminal complaint, Vocature duct-taped the girlís hands behind her back and then duct-taped her mouth closed when she began to scream.

Police said Vocature performed a sex act on the girl and fondled her. He then took her cell phone so she couldnít call for help. After removing the duct tape, he drove her to a friendís house.

State court records indicate that Vocature is awaiting trial in December on accusations that he failed to comply with sex offender registration provisions in the stateís Meganís Law. He was found guilty in 1998 of two counts of indecent deviate sexual assault of a child younger than 16 and pleaded no contest to a charge of aggravated indecent assault and was sentenced to 2 to 4 years in prison.

He was accused of sexual offender registry offenses in 2007, but those charges were dismissed and he pleaded guilty in 2002 to intimidating a witness.